Numerical Study of the Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow in a Self-Designed Mixer for a Ga-R113 MHD System
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Modelling
2.1. Model Set-Up
2.2. Numerical Model
2.2.1. Governing Equations
- (1)
- Continuity Equation
- (2)
- Momentum Equation
- (3)
- Energy Equation
- (4)
- Volume fraction equation of the second phase
2.2.2. Boundary Conditions
2.2.3. Independence Verification
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Effects of vlmi
3.2. Effects of Tlmi
3.3. Effects of vRi
3.4. Effects of TRi
4. Conclusions
- (1)
- The evaporation area enlarges with the inlet velocity of liquid Ga (vlmi), which is beneficial to R113 evaporation.
- (2)
- Generally, increasing vlmi plays a positive role in the gas-liquid flow characteristics, because vlmo, VFo and ER increase with vlmi. However, an excessively higher vlmi will result in an overload on the pump power, and consequently reduce the whole efficiency. The suggested range for vlmi is 1.8 m·s−1 to 2.4 m·s−1.
- (3)
- The inlet temperatures of liquid Ga (Tlmi) and R113 (TRi) have similar impacts on the gas-liquid mixing and flow characteristics. With Tlmi or TRi increasing, vlmo, Tlmo, and ER rise, while VFo declines. As the thermodynamic fluid, a higher inlet velocity of R113 (vRi) will, on one hand, obtain a higher vlmo; on the other hand, it will reduce Tlmo, ER, and VFo.
- (4)
- It is suggested that VFo be kept above a certain value. Otherwise an undesirable annular flow pattern may be formed, which has a detrimental impact on the power-generating process by detaching the liquid metal from the electrodes.
- (5)
- It is advised that future research work be centered on experimental investigations, microscopic bubble motions, economic performance, and commercialized operations in this field.
Acknowledgments
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
Nomenclature
Symbols | ||
E | energy | J·kg−1 |
ER | evaporation rate | % |
body force | N | |
gravitational acceleration | m·s−2 | |
k | thermal conductivity | W·m−1·K−1 |
n | number of phases | |
p | pressure | Pa |
R | radius | m |
Re | Reynolds number | |
r | the factor of phase change | s−1 |
S | source term | kg·m−3·s−1 or kJ·m−3·s−1 |
S′ | volumetric heat sources | W·m−3 |
t | time | s |
T | temperature | K |
v | velocity | m·s−1 |
mass-average velocity | m·s−1 | |
VF | volume fraction of liquid metal | % |
X | axis X | m |
Y | axis Y | m |
Z | axis Z | m |
Greek symbols | ||
α | volume fraction | % |
ΔH | latent heat | kJ·kg−1 |
ρ | density | kg·m−3 |
μ | viscosity | kg·m−1·s−1 |
Subscripts | ||
b | boiling point | |
dr | drift | |
E | energy | |
eff | effective | |
i | inlet | |
k | phase k | |
l | liquid | |
lm | liquid metal | |
M | mass | |
m | mixture | |
o | outlet | |
R | R113 | |
t | turbulence model |
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Physical Properties | Liquid Gallium |
---|---|
Molar mass (g·mol−1) | 69.723 |
Density (kg·m−3) | 5904 |
Melting point (K) | 303 |
Heat capacity (J·kg−1·K−1) | 383.52 |
Heat conductivity (W·m−1·K−1) | 58 |
Viscosity (kg·m−1·s−1) | 1.94 × 10−3 |
Physical Properties | R113 | R113 g |
---|---|---|
Molar mass (g·mol−1) | 187.376 | 187.376 |
Density (kg·m−3) | 1565 | 7.38 |
Boiling point (K) | 321 | — |
Latent heat of vaporization (kJ·kg−1) | 146.7 | — |
Heat capacity (J·kg−1·K−1) | 912 | 673 |
Heat conductivity (W·m−1·K−1) | 0.0657 | 0.0778 |
Viscosity (kg·m−1·s−1) | 4.97 × 10−4 | 1.08 × 10−5 |
Standard-state enthalpy (J·kmol−1) | −8 × 108 | −6.95 × 108 |
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Lu, P.; Zheng, X.; Fang, L.; Huang, H.; Xu, S.; Yu, Y. Numerical Study of the Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow in a Self-Designed Mixer for a Ga-R113 MHD System. Energies 2017, 10, 1629. https://doi.org/10.3390/en10101629
Lu P, Zheng X, Fang L, Huang H, Xu S, Yu Y. Numerical Study of the Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow in a Self-Designed Mixer for a Ga-R113 MHD System. Energies. 2017; 10(10):1629. https://doi.org/10.3390/en10101629
Chicago/Turabian StyleLu, Peng, Xingwen Zheng, Lulu Fang, Hulin Huang, Shu Xu, and Yezhen Yu. 2017. "Numerical Study of the Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow in a Self-Designed Mixer for a Ga-R113 MHD System" Energies 10, no. 10: 1629. https://doi.org/10.3390/en10101629